The VRARA appoints Zuriñe Hernandez Co-Chair of the VRARA Energy Committee

The VRARA is pleased to announce the appointment of Zuriñe Hernandez as the co-chair of the Energy Committee to help lead the VRARA’s efforts to connect the energy industry with XR technologies. The VRARA is the largest member association focused on XR technologies with over 50 chapters globally and over 55k participants in our global and local events and newsletter subscribers and the energy sector is a rapidly growing area of interest for XR and AI..

Zuriñe holds a PhD and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) and is currently a Program Manager with european virtual reality leader Virtualware, maker of the VIROO enterprise software platform, and is supporting Virualware’s customers globally. 

With a rich history of supporting the energy industry, Zuriñe has collaborated with large global organizations such as GE Hitachi Nuclear (now GE Vernova), Automotive manufacturer Gestamp, & Engineering services company Idom where she helped to develop and lead the implementation of numerous large-scale projects that leverage XR and advanced simulators.

Zuriñe was recently recognized for her efforts by Human Capital Management leader the Brandon Hall Group for the implementation of GE Vernova’s Nuclear Fuel Movement Simulator project. 

“I believe that we are at the tipping point for mass adoption of XR at scale in the Energy sector. XR is helping companies become more efficient, bring new products to market, train their dynamically changing workforce,and is helping to protect our environment.  The VR/AR Association is a great ecosystem to help educate, inform and network across the Energy and other industries.  I am honored to support the Energy committee and look forward to meeting all of the members” says Zuriñe Hernandez. 

Nathan Pettyjohn, President of the VR/AR Association adds, “the energy sector is an important community and we are excited that Zuriñe will be co-chairing this committee along with Susan Spark from SBL (formerly known as Schlumberger).  She brings deep implementation expertise that will benefit our members to learn how to adopt and scale XR technologies in energy and other industrial sectors”.

About Virtualware

Virtualware, based in Bilbao, Spain, is a global pioneer in the development of virtual reality solutions for large industrial, educational and healthcare conglomerates. Since its founding in 2004, the company has gained widespread recognition for its achievements. In 2021, Virtualware was recognized as the world’s most innovative VR company.

Publicly traded on Euronext Paris, Virtualware has recently expanded its operations into the United States, continuing to lead the development of the VRaas platform VIROO, and making it accessible to organizations of all sizes and sectors.

New whitepaper! VR/AR To Address Staffing Challenges of the Energy Sector (Download)

Download whitepaper

VRARA Energy whitepaper part 2

Our Energy Industry Committee has produced this whitepaper aimed to guide energy organizations in leveraging VR/AR solutions to address challenges in staff acquisition, skill impartation, and talent retention. This document outlines key considerations in identifying use cases, specifications, functionalities, and hardware selection. Additionally, it addresses VR/AR solution deployment and change management. 

These papers (Part 1 and Part 2) serve as reference documentation for both end users and VR /AR solution providers. They facilitate productive engagement by establishing a shared language and understanding of requirements. 

Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) have the potential to revolutionize learning and training in the energy sector. They offer immersive experiences that enhance understanding of complex concepts, procedures, and equipment in a safe environment. These technologies are engaging and impactful throughout the employment cycle, from recruiting to reskilling and provide access to virtual training environments worldwide, reducing carbon footprints and promoting sustainability. 

In 2021, the VR/AR Association Energy Committee released the first whitepaper in a series, titled “VR/AR in the Energy Sector,” providing insights on VR and AR utilization in the industry. The goal was to offer insights to the VRARA Energy community, representing stakeholder organizations and technology suppliers, on how VR and AR solutions can be used to overcome critical business challenges facing our industry. 

Table of Contents 

Authors & Contributors......................................................................................................................................... 1 

Table of Contents....................................... 2 

1. Introduction................. 3 

2. Principal Considerations Before Getting Started......................................................... 3 

3. Setting the Right Learning Objectives........................................................................................ 5 

4. Type of Content to Develop.................................................................................................. 7 

4.1 Planning the Content................................................................................................ 7 

4.2 Classification of VR AR Use Cases for Training................................................................ 8 

4.3 Types of Simulation Modules.................................................................................. 9 

5. Hardware Equipment........................................................................10 

5.1 Type of Headset systems.........................................................................................10 

5.2 Mobile Devices..............................................................................................................12 

5.3 Desktop deployments.......................................................................................12 

5.4 Room Scale Immersive Systems.............................................................................12 

5.5 Characteristics of VR/AR Hardware Devices......................................................................................12 

5.6 Selection of VR AR Hardware for Application Development......................................13 

6. Content Production and Distribution.............................................................................14 

6.1 Internalize Capabilities................................................................14 

6.2 Third-party partnership......................................................................14 

7. Data and Scoring............................................................................................15 

8. Integrating into the Enterprise................................................................16 

8.1 Integration Support.............................................................................................13 

8.2 Content Licensing and Intellectual Property.............................................................13 

9. Physical Considerations for a Virtual World........................................................................17 

9.1 Training Space..........................................................................................17 

9.2 Audience Preparation................................................................................................17 

10. Conclusion.............................................................................................................................18

Call for Participation - Contributors and Sponsors - in the VR/AR Association Energy Sector white paper

Call for Participation

Interested in becoming one of the authors/contributors to our white paper or a sponsor (get your logo on the cover, plus one featured page, and promotion for your service/product)? Our publications are downloaded by 1000’s of professionals. Email info@thevrara.com

Below is more info on this publication (intro, authors, and TOC).

Introduction

VR/AR have the potential to revolutionize the way energy sector professionals learn and train. By providing immersive, hands-on experiences, VR and AR can help learners better understand complex concepts, procedures, and equipment in a safe and controlled environment. These technologies are engaging and impactful for all stages of the employment cycle, from recruiting, screening, and onboarding to knowledge transfer and reskilling.  They are further invaluable in providing access to virtual training environments from anywhere in the world, reducing the carbon footprint of many traditional training scenarios, and introducing more sustainable solutions. 

In 2021, the VR/AR Association Energy Committee released the first in a series of Whitepapers outlining VR/AR utilization and opportunities in the sector.  It presented essential features of the emerging technologies of VR and AR, underlying considerations pertaining to Energy Industry and how such immersive technologies may help in overcoming challenges faced by the industry. The paper also highlighted several VR/ AR Use Cases in the Energy Industry which demonstrated the above points.

The objective of this Whitepaper is to provide guidance on what Energy organizations should consider when looking to leverage VR/AR solutions to address challenges in acquiring and maintaining skilled staff.  We will outline and describe key considerations in the process of identifying Use Cases, drawing out Specifications, identifying Functionalities, and selecting Hardware.  Further, we will address aspects of VR/AR solution deployment and managing the change process.

It is intended that these two papers will serve as reference documentation for both end users as well as VR and AR Solution providers. Taken together, they help to frame requirements in a productive way, by helping companies engage with solution providers using shared language and understanding. 

Authors & Contributors include:

- Susan Spark – Schlumberger

- Vi Kellersohn – Oberon

- Ray Deatherage - GTI 

Table of Contents:

Contents 1

Introduction 2

Principal Considerations 3

Learning Objectives 5

Type of Content to Develop 7

Technical training (e.g., tools, equipment, fittings, procedures, etc.) 7

Soft skills (e.g., empathy, communication, etc.) 8

Informational (e.g., tour of facilities, sites, etc.) 8

Hardware Equipment 8

Desktop deployments 13

Other Considerations Impacting Hardware Selection 13

Comparison of types of equipment (how much detail?) 14

Content Distribution 14

Company platform 14

Third-party platform 14

Data and Scoring 14

Functionality 15

Integration Support 15

Hardware Equipment 15

Content Licensing 15

Content Development 16

Human Factors - Ensuring best impact 17

Download our new Whitepaper, VR/AR in the Energy Sector authored by industry experts

Download white paper

Energy white paper download

This publications was produced by our Energy Committee.

Authors & Contributors:

• Mr. Suhas P Bhagwat, Avroglide Consultants

• Mr. David Moreno, Virtualware

• Mr. Walter Davis, Aggreko

• Ms. Sophia Moshasha, VRARA Washington DC Chapter

• Mr. Ray Deatherage, GTI

• Mr. Eduardo Neeter, FactualVR

• Mr. Nick McKee, Cyan Stone Innovation

• Mr. Tim Allen, Oberon Technologies, Inc.

This white paper is broken into the following parts:

• Introduction

• Basic Elements and Features of VR and AR technologies and devices for VR and AR

• Relevance of VR AR for Energy Sector

• Typical Applications of VR AR in various functions in the Energy Value Chain

• Sample Use Cases for Energy Sector

• Concluding Remarks

The global energy mix is comprised of Oil, Gas (which also includes liquefied natural gas ie LNG), Coal, Nuclear, Renewable energy (such as Wind, Solar, Hydropower, Biomass, Geothermal, Ocean Waves etc), and Electricity sectors. During the mid 2010s fossil fuels (namely Coal, Oil and Gas) accounted for 82 percent of global primary energy. This percent number is targeted to decline, with large growth in the nuclear and renewable energy sectors (especially wind and solar energy) although the fossil fuels are expected to remain a primary source over the next 20 years. However, due to the current pandemic that hit the world early 2020, the projections are sure to undergo a change.

Energy is the lifeline of everything that happens in the world and this sector is one of the most important components of the Global Economy. The combined business that is conducted globally in the entire value chain of this sector is in multiples of Trillions of dollars and it engages several million personnel worldwide. The Energy sector covers all the stakeholders in its entire value chain such as the Energy organizations (Oil & Gas production units, Refineries, Thermal Power Plants, Nuclear Power Plants, Wind Power Farms, Solar Power Plants, Power Transmission & Distribution Systems etc), Energy Technology / Process Licensors, Engineering organizations, EPC organizations, Manufacturers and Fabricators, Construction companies, Mining Companies (for Coal) as well as several service providers covering HSE, logistics, inspection and other services.

Therefore, as far as Energy as the VRARA Energy community is concerned, the Demand side of VR AR value chain covers all the VRARA members representing the stakeholder organizations in the Energy sector as above. The VR AR Supply side for VRARA Energy community on the other hand covers Digital Technology Creators, VR AR Hardware Manufacturers and VR AR Solutions providers & Content creators with experience in applications for the Energy Sector.

Thank you to our Sponsor!

Oberon Technologies is a leading provider of innovative interactive training solutions, leveraging virtual reality technologies coupled with state-of-the-art information delivery for environments where safety, security, or efficient cost of delivery is critical. More at www.oberontech.com 

Call for Sponsors - VR AR Energy White Paper

If interested to Sponsor, email info@thevrara.com

This publication outlines the essential features of VR AR technologies, highlight their relevance to business functions in the Energy sector and presents an overview of applications & use cases of VR AR, highlighting the benefits for business processes.

This publication will be published on the VRARA and our partner's websites and will be promoted to the industry globally via our Newsletter (35K+ subs), Website (20K monthly visitors), Social Media (50K+ followers) at our VR/AR Global Summits, and via our partners. You can see our other Publications here, which have been downloaded 1000s times!

Authors:

- Suhas P Bhagwat

- Mr. David Moreno - Virtualware 

- Mr. Walter Davis - Aggreko 

- Ms. Sophia Moshasha - VRARA

- Mr. Ray Deatherage - GTI 

- Mr. Eduardo Neeter - FactualVR

Contents

• Introduction

• Basic Elements and Features of VR and AR technologies and devices for VR and AR

• 2.1 Basic Features of VR and AR and The Reality Spectrum

• 2.2 Devices for VR, AR and MR

• Relevance of VR AR for Energy Sector

• Underlying factors in Energy Sector

• Imperatives that make VR and AR useful for Energy Sector

• Typical Applications of VR, AR and MR in Energy Sector

• 4.1 Engineering 

• 4.2  Marketing

• 4.3 Plant Operations, Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Inspection

• 4.4  Manufacturing, Construction, Fabrication

• 4.5  VR Training 

• Sample Use Cases for Energy Value Chain  

• Workforce training through VR Rooms

• Immersive Employee Development, Training & Certification

• Virtual Classroom Training Activity on Components

• Equipment/Product Training Practical Assessment

• VR Based Training of Heavy Duty Crane Operators

• VR Based Training for the Natural Gas Distribution Industry

• MR Based Remote Assistance in Sub-Stations Operations

• Concluding Remarks

The global energy mix is comprised of Oil, Gas (which also includes liquefied natural gas ie LNG), Coal, Nuclear, Renewable energy (such as Wind, Solar, Hydropower, Biomass, Geothermal, Ocean Waves etc), and Electricity sectors. During the mid 2010s fossil fuels (namely Coal, Oil and Gas) accounted for 82 percent of global primary energy. This percent number is targeted to decline, with large growth in the nuclear and renewable energy sectors (especially wind and solar energy) although the fossil fuels are expected to remain a primary source over the next 20 years. However, due to the current pandemic that hit the world early 2020, the projections are sure to undergo a change. 

Energy is the lifeline of everything that happens in the world and this sector is one of the most important components of the Global Economy.  The combined business that is conducted globally in the entire value chain of this sector is in multiples of Trillions of dollars and it engages several million personnel worldwide.

The Energy sector covers all the stakeholders in its entire value chain such as the Energy organizations (Oil & Gas production units, Refineries, Thermal Power Plants, Nuclear Power Plants, Wind Mill Farms, Solar Power Plants, Electricity Distribution Systems etc), Energy  Technology / Process Licensors, Engineering organizations, EPC organizations, Manufacturers and Fabricators, Construction companies, Mining Companies (for Coal) as well as several service providers covering HSE, logistics, inspection and other services. 

Therefore, as far as Energy Committee under VR/AR Association (VRARA) is concerned, the Demand side of VR AR value chain covers all the VRARA members representing the stakeholder organizations in the Energy sector as above. The VR AR Supply side for Energy on the other hand covers Digital Technology Creators, VR AR Hardware Manufacturers and VR AR Solutions providers & Content creators with experience in applications for the Energy Sector. 

Just as for any industrial sector, the emerging technologies of VR and AR hold very significant potential to bring value to various business functions in the Energy Sector by way of enhanced efficiencies and effectiveness. Various stakeholders in the Energy Sector have been taking serious note of this and therefore increased adoption of VR and AR in the sector has been evident over the recent years. It is expected that this will see a steep growth in the coming years. 

The Ecosystem created by VRARA provides a common platform for all the stakeholders in the VR AR value chain of the Energy sector. The objective of this White Paper, therefore, is to bring out the essential features of VR AR technologies, highlight the relevance of the same to business functions in the Energy Sector and present an overview of applications and use cases of VR AR duly highlighting the benefits of the same for business processes. 

This White Paper covers various topics on the subject. 

If interested to Sponsor, email info@thevrara.com

Schlumberger reveals epic results for Remote Collaboration solutions

See the latest VR & AR solutions at our VR/AR Global Summit ONLINE Conference+Expo Sept 16-18

During our Online Meet for the Energy Committee, Schlumberger presented how they use different remote collaboration solutions from different vendors for different use cases. The case studies were superb. What really stood out was the map graph showing the adoption of these solutions across the globe (shown in picture below).

“The committee knew that this was likely to happen in this new reality, but it was great to see a visual and hear from you directly,” said Co-Chair Susan Spark.

Highlights from today's @thevrara Energy Committee online meet on Remote Collaboration presentation by Schlumberger. Join us next time! #VRARA pic.twitter.com/Aj4Jus2s2L

— Kris Kolo..Big ONLINE event in Sept! (@kriskolodziej) June 25, 2020

Innoactive Launches VR Training Visionary Roundtable

participating corporations…

TL:DR - On November 18, 2019, VR/AR Association Germany moderated a full day roundtable on Enterprise VR learning . Representatives from Transportation, Energy, Logistics and Aviation attended to better understand the challenges and benefits of scalable immersive training

First a Little Background

VR training for employees has numerous benefits which is convincing more and more companies to consider the technology as it evolves and awareness grows. However, Virtual Reality is still novel to most workplaces and therefore not as easily integrated into standard training procedures. Adopting VR comes with its challenges and hurdles just as regular innovation does. How can we fix this? Consequently, we have decided to help tackle this problem by uniting like-minded peers who are at the forefront of discussing VR in their organisation. Together with HTC and Unity and the support of VRARA, Innoactive has launched a platform for industry professionals which gives them the opportunity to exchange best practices. We decided to create our VR Training Visionary Roundtable

Structure of the Event

The main discussion is in the form of a classic roundtable which gathers a group of like minded visionaries from different industries. By doing so, we unite them to exchange about overcoming VR training adoption hurdles together. The moderated roundtables are designed to open a discussion amongst participants to help them overcome VR Adoption hurdles. These hurdles include difficulty with hardware roll out, content distribution and permissions, funding, workers safety issues and much more. As a result of listening and engaging with industry professionals, the community works together to solve these hurdles.

The Roundtable also incorporates “demo” sessions at the end of the event. During these sessions, participants can try out each other’s VR training solutions. As well as this, a dedicated Best Practices Instance on the Innoactive Hub aggregates the VR Trainings and allows all the Event Community members to access and try diverse applications.

One Final Thought

The next step of the VR Training Visionary Roundtable includes a workshop for storyboarding and calculating business cases. This gives participants the opportunity to get inspired before designing their next Virtual Reality training. In doing so participants can also learn new ways of estimating the value of a business case.

From VR Training Newbie to Rollout Master in 4 Days

https://www.vr-training-summit.innoactive.de/

Susan Spark of Schlumberger appointed as Co-Chair of VRARA Energy Committee

Email info@thevrara.com if you’re interested in participating

The Energy Committee of the VR/AR Association serves as a resource to promote the application of VR/AR technology in confronting the challenges posed by the energy transition. The committee will enable the sharing of best practices and information on VR/AR related applications in the energy industry as well as curate industry relevant case studies. Furthermore, the committee will, as necessary, shape and recommend best practices for the scaling of VR/AR applications across the energy industry.

I believe we are at a critical juncture for immersive technologies. The value and potential of these is tremendous, particularly for a high consequence industry such as energy. Use cases stretch from product and service design, manufacturing, marketing, training to operations support. Despite the potential, wide enterprise implementation is often still a challenge due to a number of reasons.

Opportunities will continue to expand exponentially, as AI, haptics and other technologies become interconnected with advances in Virtual and Augmented Reality technology. As an industry committee, I look forward to working together to establish best practices and gain momentum for wider adoption of VR/AR within and across industries and applications.

Susan Spark

Goals of the Committee include:

• Simulation and human capability development equivalency considerations

• Performance support applications in manufacturing, field services, and other areas

• Virtual remote collaboration platforms

Susan Spark is the Learning Technology Manager at Schlumberger. Along with her exceptional team, she is focused on bringing L&D into the fold of the corporate strategy toward digital platforms, big data, and innovative technologies. Susan is responsible for the development of emerging learning technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, as well as implementation of a modern, adaptable, learning ecosystem. She effectively integrates over 15 years of Schlumberger experience across diverse roles in data management, recruiting, HR compliance, and training center management.

The VR/AR Association appoints Kevin Carpenter of Siemens as Co-Chair of the Energy Industry Committee

To participate in the Committee, email info@thevrara.com

The Energy Committee of the VR/AR Association serves as a resource to promote the application of VR/AR technology in confronting the challenges posed by the energy transition. The committee will enable the sharing of best practices and information on VR/AR related applications in the energy industry as well as curate industry relevant case studies. Furthermore, the committee will, as necessary, shape and recommend best practices for the scaling of VR/AR applications across the energy industry.

Some areas that the Committee will focus, include:

• Data visualization

• Learning & Training for industry specific needs

• Safety & EHS as pertains to the energy industry

• Guided assistance of factory workers & field technicians in the energy industry

Kevin Carpenter is currently Head of the Global Operations Technical Education and Competence Center Network for Siemens Power Service Power & Gas with technical education and competence centers located throughout the United States, Germany, China & Egypt. Kevin recently spoke at our VRARA Enterprise Summit

As a co-chair, Kevin will work with the Association and industry at large to create a community of thought-leaders committed to the application of VR/AR technology in solving the problems associated with the energy industry and its transition. Together we will establish a regular forum for exchange that will include industry relevant guest speakers and information exchange; This will include webinars and panels at events, in addition to industry guidelines and best practices publications.

To participate in the Committee, email info@thevrara.com